Stereotype casting box



March 25, 1941. J BUELTMANN 235,98U

STEREQTYPE CASTING BOX Filed May 11, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q a INVENTO M fimww wv M M (j ATTORNEYS March 25, 1941.

A. J. BUEL TMANN STEREOTYPE CASTING BOX Filed May 1.1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STEREOTYIEYCASTING BOX Application May 11, 1939, Serial No. 273,071

1 Claim.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in stereotype casting boxes, and more especially to novel and useful means for holding and stretching a backing sheet within the casting chamber.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claim.

The inventionconsists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate one embodiment of the inventiomand together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings: Fig. 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in vertical section of a casting box with my invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, vertical section through the top part of the cope showing means for holding the top edge of the backing sheet; and

Fig. 4 is a top plan, with some parts diagram matically indicated, of the winding and holding means for the backing sheet, the cap l3 being removed.

Objects of the invention are to provide an improved stereotype plate casting mechanism adapted to produce plates of superior quality; to provide for improved handling and mounting withinthe casting chamber of a backing sheet, against which the plate is cast; to provide a backing sheet within the casting chamber which is firmly held and which is uniformly stretched and wherein the stretching tension may be varied as desired; to provide for a backing sheet within the casting box which is stretched very uniformly and accurately to a desired tension, the sheet stretching and holding means being located exteriorly to the casting chamber; to provide in a curved casting chamber. a uniformly stretched backing sheet with holding and stretching means engaging and exerting tension on opposite straight edges of the sheet, the tensioning means being operated from, and preferably being located, outside of the casting chamber.

\ printing presses.

To these ends, in a stereotype casting box having a plurality of relatively movable members, one of the members having means for holding the matrix, which member preferably is movable between a casting position and a plate-delivering position; and an opposing member carrying a backing sheet against which the back of the plate is cast, there are devices for holding opposed straight edges of the backing sheet. These devices act to stretch the backing sheet tightly 10 and uniformly over the casting-box wall member and to minutely and uniformly vary the tension, these back sheet engaging devices and the tension exerting means preferably being located outside of the casting chamber. casting box having a vertical, stationary cope, and a drag rocking between a vertical casting positiomand a horizontal plate-delivering position, a backing sheet is stretched over the semicylindrical, convex cope, and at the straight ver- 0 tical edges of the cope, exterior to the casting chamber, are rollers to which the straight edges of the backing sheet may be attached and from which these edges may be detached, and there are preferably individual worm gears for rotat- 25 ing the respective rollers. Suitable means will be provided for holding and enclosing the curved top and bottom edges of the backing sheet. It will be understood that the foregoing general description, and the following detail description 30 as well, are exemplary and explanatory but are not restrictive of the invention. Referring now in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, the invention is 35 shown applied to a standard form of casting box adapted to cast semi-cylindrical stereotype plates of the shape generally used on rotary newspaper In the drawings the drag, that is the matrix-holding member of the cast- 0 ing chamber, is shown partly diagrammatically, and the means for moving the drag between casting and plate-delivering positions are omitted, as a showing thereof is not necessarywith the present invention. The body I of the drag has a matrix 2 held firmly thereagainst in com cave, semi-circular form, the edges of the matrix being held by suitable means, various forms of which are known. The bottom curved edge of the matrix is shown in Fig. 2 as resting in a groove 3 formed in the upper circular edge of the bottom ring I of the casting chamber, and the curved top edge of the matrix sheet is shown beneath the lower edge of the curved plate .5 at the top part of the drag. A matrix sheet is thus In a curved 15 held firmly in position against the surface of the concave wall of the matrix chamber. The side walls of the casting chamber, at either side, comprise vertically-disposed angled members or 5 gates 6 which are pivotally mounted, respectively, on the rear face of the drag I, by means of clamping plates 8 which are fastened to said rear faces of the drag by means of bolts 9. The inner angled portions of the gates B are curved 10 to conform to the curvature of the casting chamber, and are swingable about their pivotal mountings l to permit the insertion of a matrix, the gates then being closed over the straight edges of the matrix in a usual manner to hold the matrix, and when the drag is closed, to form the straight walls at either vertical side of the casting chamber.

The cope or convex, semi-cylindrical member ll of the matrix chamber is mounted vertically, in fixed position upon a suitable base l2. The cope is provided above the casting chamber with an upwardly and outwardly beveled top member 13, thereby providing the usual widened entrance opening to receive the stereotype metal as its is poured into the casting chamber. The backing sheet ll, against which a back of the stereotype is cast, is stretched about the convex, semi-cylindrical surface of the cope II, and the straight edges of the sheet, at either straight side of the cope are fixed respectively to rollers l8 and I9. For this purpose, as embodied, the rollers are longitudinally in two parts (Fig. 2), between which the sheet is received, and the parts are then clamped together by screws 25. These rollers are rotatably mounted on the cope,

and are adapted to be turned and to exert a uniform stretching tension on the backing sheet about the surface of the cope. The rollers l8 and I9 are rotatably mounted, and as shown at their bottom ends they are journaled, respectively, in brackets 20 and 2|, fixed to the back of the cope near the edges of its curved surface. At their top ends the rollers are journaled, respectively, in bracket plates 22 and 23, fastened to and extending rearwardly from the fiat top plate 24 of the cope, the roller shafts extending upwardly through their bearing plates. Fixed on the upper ends of the roller shafts, respectively, are worm gears 29 and 30, and meshing with these are worms 3| and 32, journaled, respectively, in bearings 33 and 3-2 formed on the bracket plates 22 and 23. The shaft of worm 3| is provided with a crank 31, and the shaft of 5 worm 32 is provided with a crank 33. Thus the,- rollers I8 and I9 may each be turned very mi-l nutely and very accurately independently of the other, to provide accurate and uniform tension throughout on the backing sheet. The curved 10 bottom edge and top edges of the backing sheet are protected in any suitable manner, and as shown herein the bottom ring 4 of the casting chamber clamps firmly against the bottom part of the backing sheet. In the embodied form of 15 means for protecting the top edge of the backing sheet, the arcuate top edge of the body ll of the cope is beveled slightly backwardly and upwardly as shown at 44, the cap piece 13 of the cope is separate, and the arcuate edge 45 of the 20 cap piece l3 abutting on the bevel 44 is beveled correspondingly, to receive and to clamp between them the top edge of the back piece as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The cap piece [3 is movable and is fastened to the top plate 24 of the cope by tap 25 bolts 46.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope ofthe accompanying claims 30 Without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief adx vantages. I

What I claim is:

In a stereotype casting box for casting curved 35 stereotype plates, the combination of a vertically positioned, fixed, semi-cylindrical cope for supporting a backing sheet, the upper edge of said cope being beveled inwardly, a detachable cap piece for said cope, said cap piece having a lat- 4,0 eral, sloping wall, the lower inner edge of which is beveled inwardly to cooperate with the inward bevel on the cope for holding therebetween the upper edge of a backing sheet, and threaded means for detachably securing said cap piece in 45 place on the end of the cope.

ALFONS JOSEPH BUELTMANN. 

